DRAMA CLUB: Mischievous Kiss: Love in Tokyo Episode 15 (4/4)

I think we have all reached the consensus that episode 15 is super sad and makes us want to cry. I was not the only one crying in the corner—instead Rosie and Cherry joined me too! :P Well throughout these past couple of days of not thinking about Itazura na Kiss, I’ve calmed down a bit. But now that I’m revisiting it, I’m living it all over again. *heart breaks* Yeah, Episode 15 really hit me hard. Maybe it’s because it’s the second to last episode, and also there is this sense all throughout the episode that THIS IS IT. IT’S ENDING. Everything is soon coming to a close! But it’s also because of how beautiful the characters are in their interactions with one another, their devotion and their love for each other, and their struggles.
One thing that I realized while reading Cherry and Rosie’s posts, as well as all the comments from this week, is that Kotoko is absolutely beautiful and shining in this episode. I think someone else said it (argh I can’t remember who!!) but this is Kotoko’s episode for sure. I think Kotoko has grown a lot and that this episode is like the culmination of all of her self-growth and coming of age. I feel like I have accompanied Kotoko every step of the way on her journey, and now she is...almost near her final destination. O__O I don't know how to put it. Even though Kotoko is being torn apart by having to let Naoki go and sending him off to another girl, somehow she has a beautiful aura of peaceful strength. She is strong even though she is hurting and trying to put on a happy face.
And of course, this applies to Kin as well. I love the moment when Kin says goodbye to Kotoko at her house and then asks if she wants to go out on a date again. The lighting in that scene is all glowy and bright, the music is sad and wistful, and Kotoko looks gorgeous! I feel like the way that Kotoko is portrayed in that scene is the way that Kin sees Kotoko--someone who brightens up his world, someone who is always breathtakingly beautiful..yet also someone who is out of his reach.
Anyways Cherry pointed out that this episode tries to lighten things up with the cute date scene in the beginning but overall, episode 15 is really sad. At first I also felt like the opening date scene was a bit of a breather. But now that I look back on it, it is actually a really melancholy scene because Kin and Kotoko are trying their hardest to be happy and to momentarily forget all of their troubles in life. It is not so much that they are putting on a happy-facade..but that since they are together, they can laugh and just forget about their worries for a while. They are both ever-aware of each others' worries even though they don't talk much about it. (Ok maybe this is more one-sided with Kin being very aware of Kotoko's situation and not vice versa..)
Naoki, Naoki. Yeah I also think that Rosie is right--Naoki doesn't deserve these great women!! What in the world is he doing!?!? Well I also think that this episode is partly at fault for not developing Naoki's character much further. I feel like even Kin's character made more progress in this episode than Naoki did. But maybe Naoki is supposed to be stagnant for now? Is he stuck at this crossroads in his life, unable to make a decision? I'm not sure, because he's so mysterious. He does appear to be reaching the limit though, I wonder if he will have an outburst in episode 16.
Another thing that I thought was interesting is something Rosie pointed out: Sahoko indirectly refers to Naoki as "a chameleon". OMG she so knows that he is lying to her!!!!!! I also wonder why she is going through with this marriage, especially since her character has been very 2D so far. Perhaps it is because of her family honor, as well as her selfish love for Naoki. She is probably hesitant to let Naoki go because she wants to be with him even if he doesn't love her. Sahoko has yet to form a purely unselfish love for Naoki that will lead her to encourage him to find his own happiness, even if she is not a part of it. Also she has to consider that this is not just a marriage between two people, it is between the two families and it even joins the two companies. It is more than just "I love him, he doesn't love me, let's break up".
I feel really bittersweet because this is the last “part 4” post I will do for the Mischievous Kiss Drama Club!! *sniff* I’m also glad that I got to talk about this wonderful episode twice this week, hehe! See you all for episode 16, the FINALE! FIGHTING!
If you’re having Itazura withdrawals, you can read more from the Mischievous Kiss Drama Club: